The Archers Legend
by Oh Nostalgia
Summary: The legend of the Archers! In Japan, there were legendary warriors! The Archers were renown for their prowess in archery, sorcery, mind reading and animal communication. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE. Rated T for language in later chapters.
1. Prologue

The Archers Legend

Summary:

Years and years ago, in the growing country of Japan…

The legend of the Archers! In Japan, there were legendary warriors! The Archers' were renown for their prowess in archery, sorcery, mind reading and animal communication. All wrongdoers feared them and no one dared to go up against them. However, one fateful day foreign wizards came to Japan and wiped out the Archers' and took control. But nobody knew that an Archer's daughter had been born and that the line carried on unknown and hidden…

Disclaimer: The name Aiedail belongs to Christopher Paolini. And I don't own HP.

--

Prologue: The Legendary Archers

--

The legend of the Archers is famous in Japan. It was the era in time where the streets were safe enough for toddlers to walk alone and unaccompanied, with no fear for safety. The age of peace and prosperity; the age when the Archers ruled Japan.

The Archers were strong warriors shrouded in the fogs of mystery and intrigue. Not many knew of all the abilities of the Archers and credited them for many things they could not do. However, over time, many have gathered and compiled an information base on these mysterious warriors. They were tall, thin and powerful with an aura of authority around them.

Their abilities were great and subject of many rumors. They were well trained in the arts of self-defense, hunting and archery. A few were even talented in the art of the sword. Along with physical abilities they had magical capabilities, which no one could even begin to fathom. They could read the minds of others, defending themselves from a mental attack, and even use their mind to communicate with creatures and animals. They even had their own unique type of magic, though one rarely saw any display due to their prowess in self-defense.

Above all others, they held one creature sacred: The Black Dragon, Aiedail. It was said that this creature was the reason for their extraordinary magical powers, though this is a rumor, which has not been confirmed. Those who believed this to be fact look to the dragon preserve. Supporters feel that the legendary Archers had created a dragon preserve, in the heart of Japan, as a tribute to Aiedail. The preserve served as protection for the remnants of the dragon's kind and as a sign of gratitude. It is even rumored, by some, that they carry a tattoo of Aiedail on their backs as eternal repayment.

The Archers became the rulers of Japan in its time of need, when there was no leader and the land was thriving with criminals. Using their remarkable skills they ruled with kindness and loyalty, seeking to make Japan a peaceful land for all to live in. For generations, this peace held. This time became known as the Golden Age. But alas, all good things must come to an end.

One day, that fateful day, the Golden Age of Japan crumbled. This day, like any other, everyone went about their business. All of a sudden, in the usual peaceful environment, all hell broke loose. Foreign wizards wearing highly impractical robes and carrying wands appeared suddenly out of thin air with deafening cracks! These strangers advanced upon the citizens of Tokyo, as they yelled for their leader. As soon as the words were out of their mouths, the Archers confronted the wizards. But before the former could even move a muscle the wizards attacked. They drew their weapons blasting their adversaries into the air, with an assortment of multicolored flashes of light.

Soon there were no Archers left standing. Everyone ran towards their houses, their children and families, hoping to get away from these strangers that had triumphed over the Archers.  
The air was rent with screaming and shrieking and the wailing of baby infants, scared out of their wits by the noise. It seemed all were safe except the Archers' that lay on the ground, eyes blank and unseeing. The foreign wizards immediately took control of the once peaceful country. They enforced new rules and threatened any who disobeyed. They had thought that all was over and the Archers were no more. How wrong they were.

For little did they know that a daughter had been born to the crying wife of an Archer, in a house far away in the city of Shiozawa...

--

A/N: Hi guys! I'd just like to take a moment to thank Angie AKA paddyfootblack057, my wonderful beta, for helping me write this prologue, Nora AKA Noraxslytherin for encouraging my idea and darkladyofslytherin, who suggested a prologue in the first place. Leave me a review in the box below!

Seth


	2. The Cursed Blessing

Chapter 1: The Cursed Blessing

Disclaimer: I don't own HP blah blah blah. I only own the Archers, Artemis and anything you don't recognize.

--

"Artemis, pack your stuff quickly!"

I turned around to face my mother in the doorway. She was the reason that I was cursed. Cursed with these powers that made me unique. Cursed with these powers that made me the most hunted person in Japan. That is, if they _knew_ what I was. An Archer. A descendant of the legendary warriors that had ruled Japan centuries ago. The ones that had been hunted down and killed, except for the wife of one Archer that had bore a daughter. Hidden from the eyes of the new rulers to continue the Archer line, unknown and thrown in shadow to avoid extinction, here I am. The last of a famous line that had successfully saved itself from total annihilation. Oh, how I wished it wasn't me that was _blessed_ with the powers and traits of an Archer.

And now because of my powers and existence, my parents, no, my _entire_ family has to move to avoid a conflict and to prevent a slaughter of the line. It's all about the line, not our lives. The line is more important, this and that. And even if my father doesn't really understand the whole 'Archer Line' thing, he still agrees with my mother.

So now I'm packing to move to Scotland. And to rub salt on the wound, I'm going to have to transfer to different school. New, foreign people with big heads and egos the size of China and Russia put together. And that's pretty big, I can tell you. So now, I'm packing my stuff and preparing for Side-Along-Apparition to our new home in Scotland. I never liked Apparition. It made me nauseous and made me want to throw up. Well, that's enough of my complaining. I'm betting you want to know who I am and what I'm like. Like you have a choice anyway. Well, let's start with my appearance.

My mother and I are so identical we could be twins. I have her long black hair with occasional streaks of ice blue that falls down to around mid-back and the piercing, cold blue eyes that were characteristic of the Archers'. I'm fairly tall, 5'9" to be exact. And I had the sacred black dragon, Aiedail, tattooed onto the skin of my back. My body is thin and powerful; the muscles run just underneath the skin. My fingers are long and tapered, perfect for wrapping around a bow and arrow. I'm light on my feet and quick when in a pinch.

All of these are characteristics of the Archers, passed on through the generations.

As I am an Archer I inherit their trademark abilities as well as their characteristic appearances. I've been learning archery and martial arts since I was small so I am skilled in both of them. Hunting in the forest for food on horseback is also a talent of mine. And one of the abilities of the Archers that actually appeals to me is the power to communicate with animals. I can hold lengthy conversations with chattering birds when I feel alone. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, being needed. Using this power I can tame dragons and be able to ride them if they consider me worthy. Another of my powers, which can sometimes be annoying, is mind reading. What do I need to know this stuff for after all? All the unneeded worry about studies and such of others around me can be distracting. I am also past the dan levels in various martial arts disciplines.

And the last of my abilities is magic all my own. Not any of the wand-waving nonsense. No, my magic is unique, and a wand is not necessary. This magic I can easily control. Nothing is needed save my mind, body and soul. And though you may think I'm some kind of Mary Sue, think again. I'm anything _but_ perfect. Wand work and Quidditch were never my strong points.

My wand. Unique. Passed down from generations of Archers. Though the Archers had their own magic, this did not mean that they didn't have wands. As their power was slightly different they needed a completely unique and exclusive wand to channel their power. Each wand was made from the bark of the holly tree in the Dragon Preserve of Japan. In each wand resided the feather of an albino phoenix and the heartstring of a black dragon from the Preserve. My wand is the only one of its kind as the rest were destroyed in the Great Archers' War and Conquest.

My necklace. The only piece of jewelry that I wear and I never take it off. It is the only remaining heirloom of the Archers apart from my wand. It is a necklace whose magical properties are unknown. A crescent moon. A crescent moon of silver with one small blue sapphire in the middle. A necklace that which has no match. The only one of its kind. Unique, as is practically everything related to the Archers. However, in most historical texts it is said that the sapphire can amplify the wearer's magical capabilities. Old wives' tales in my opinion. But the sapphire is no doubt, a powerful magical object. All the other necklaces were no doubt thrown away, believed to be mere trinkets, when they were found on the Archers' bodies.

Pets. Ah, my beloved pets. I love my pets. Beautiful, they are. Specially chosen by me from the wild. The reason they stick to me is because I saved them. From dangers or predators alike. My unique black hawk, Lygora, is smart. Smarter than the average hawk. But proud as well. Too proud. That's what got her into trouble in the first place. Had to save her from a fox because she was too proud to think that she was too low in the tree she was in. She's completely black, with yellow eyes that jump out at you against the dark feathered body.

My cat, on the other hand, is smart but cautious. She's completely black with one white paw (the front left one). Her eyes are a calming sky blue. The reason I had to save _her_ was because, however smart she is she is still young and inexperienced and did not know the dangers of the forest she lived in. She was just curled up in the open, right next to a holly tree (ironic, ne?) and was completely vulnerable. She seemed to understand what had happened when she woke up in my home. She _is_ abnormally smart, even for a cat after all.

But my favorite out of my three pets is the white wolf that I healed after finding him fatally injured out in the garden one day. I remember it as if it were yesterday.

His fur was barely discernible as its usual shade of white. His pelt was matted and wet with blood from a deep gash in his stomach. I cried out to my mother, hastily moving his body so I could clearly see his injury.

My mother appeared with towels and warm water. I washed and bathed his body with the water and wiped him until he was dry. However the blood still flowed as fast as before. I was on the verge of panicking now, he was going to die. That's when I felt it.

An unexplainable and unmistakable surge of power flowed through me. I went into a trance, my eyes clouding over and glowing with magic. I wove my hands; making positions only I could understand, chanting with the voices that had materialized inside my head. Suddenly, some unknown force wiped away the wound like a cloth wiping dirt. My mother gasped.

I came out of my trance and shook my head from my reverie. I stared at my hands. I looked accusingly at my mother. At that time, I didn't know of my Archer roots and my mother hadn't told me yet. So I carried the wolf, to be known as Snow, back to our large, traditional Japanese home. I covered Snow's body with a soft, cotton blanket and turned to face my mother. And then, with a guilty look in her eye, she explained everything, from my appearance to my abilities. And most of all, my Archer ancestors. I was a third year at the Fukuyama Institute. The information hit me hard.

And now I'm here, finished with my packing, glaring at my kind mother. She just smiled calmly back before walking out of the room. I turned away and grabbed my trunk and beckoned my pets to follow. I slid the door back into its original position and lugged my trunk to the pile of belongings in the middle of the dining room. I stepped back a little and knelt down to the _seiza_ position. Immediately my hawk flew down to rest on my shoulder. Shadow mewed and curled up on my lap like a large, furry pillow. Snow on the other hand lay down like a loyal dog, next to me. I rubbed the soft fur under his chin, relaxing into my position, waiting for my family to appear. I lowered the walls that surrounded my mind. I reached out calmly towards the consciousness of Snow.

'_How are you, old friend?'_ I asked. I watched as Snow tossed his head around.

'_Stiff. I feel like I've been lying down for ages,' _complained Snow.

I felt a surge of affection for my canine friend and patted him on the head.

"Just a little longer, my friend. Just a little longer," soothing Snow with a comforting hand. Then I heard the clearing of a throat and I whipped my head around. I found myself faced with the kind and weathered face of my father. I looked into his light-green eyes.

'_Ah, my little girl is so kind. A pity that she doesn't show this side of herself to others,'_ I heard, recognizing the echoing quality. I shook myself. So _this _is what everyone thinks hmm? I guess this mind-reading thing can be useful, I thought to myself.

"Father, when are we leaving?" I questioned my father. He seemed deep in thought before realizing I had asked him something and turned to face me.

"We'll leave as soon as your mother's ready, dear," he replied, though a misty, faraway look still lingered in his eyes.

"Yeah, and when's that going to happen? When hell freezes over?" I grumbled quietly to Snow. He raised his head and nuzzled my side in a friendly and understanding sort of way.

Unfortunately for me, my father overheard the comment as well. And as kind-hearted as he is, I would not get on his bad side. He's like a dormant volcano until you do something that makes him erupt. And you can never stop him once he gets going. But luckily for me, he can be mischievous or understanding at times.

"Oh Arty, just be patient. We are completely moving our entire family after all. Just give your mother a bit of time to gather up all her memories. Unlike you, she was brought up entirely in Japan, so it must be a big blow for her to leave," nodding his head sympathetically.

I looked up at my father again, and swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. Then the reality of the situation crashed down around my head.

Though I had never really had many close friends at school, I had still considered it my home. My home away from home, if that makes any sense. A place that had given me comfort, and eased my pain. And now it would all be over and I would be gone. Going to a foreign place with a school with a ridiculous name. With foreigners like the ones that had destroyed my ancestors.

A surge of anger came from nowhere and I could hear the blood pounding in my ears. I wonder, what would it be like, living amongst the ranks of those who had destroyed my Clan, my life, my home. Would they be friendly, or discriminative, welcoming, or inhospitable? A voice shook me out of my thoughts and directed my attention towards the voice that was speaking.

"…give to know her thoughts. She's always thinking of something or the other."

This was my mother. I would've known her voice anywhere, having memorized its tone, accent, _everything_. I had made sure as a child that I knew how to instantly recognize any of my family. I wonder what they're talking about. Maybe about my tendencies to drift off, I mused. Most likely.

Oh for the Archers sake, I keep spacing out! In the name of Merlin, I've got to stop this ridiculous spacing out. I forced my mind to focus on the figures in front of me.

I could distinctly make out my mother and father in the crowd of black haired individuals. Most of them were chattering away in rapid Japanese or Chinese. I could just barely make out separate sentences from different conversations. And then they noticed me. And all hell broke loose.

"ARTY!!!!"

Queue the crazy family hug attack.

"AAAAAH!!!"

I wonder if this is what it feels like to be buried alive, I thought.

--

A/N: Muahahaha! My first cliffie! Hehe…lol. Well read and review people.

-Seth


	3. Revelations

Chapter 2: Revelations

Disclaimer: I don't own HP. You wouldn't believe me if I told you I did now would you?

--

_Screams were heard everywhere. Babies were wailing and everything was in chaos_._ The Archers had not even risen from their chairs when they had been felled by the mysterious wizards that had appeared. One had survived, groaning from the pain. The groan brought the attention of one of the wizards. He raised his wand and uttered something indistinct in the din of all the commotion. The only remaining Archer writhed and squirmed in pain, like the agony would never end. _

_Suddenly, he stopped moving. The natives froze, horrified at the sight of their defeated heroes._

Artemis jerked awake, a coat of cold sweat on her back. Breathing heavily she sat up in her bed, pondering her terrible nightmare. She wiped her brow, lying down on the green and silver comforter, looking into the canopy of her bed, tracing the contours of the thread with her eyes. Her mind was calm, even after the odd 'Sorting' she had gone through.

"_Calm down everyone!" yelled a strict woman with glasses. _

_Everyone in the hall went quiet. The woman let out a sigh and then began,_

"_We are not done with the Sorting yet. I would like to introduce to you all a transfer student from the far country of Japan, a previous student of the Fukuyama Institute of Magic._

_Everyone clapped unenthusiastically. Artemis rolled her eyes. _

'_Dumb foreigners,' she thought. The strict woman glanced at her then gestured for her to come over. Artemis strolled nonchalantly down the length of the Great Hall, radiating an aura of quiet authority and power. She bowed slightly to the woman and grasped the Sorting Hat and placed it on her head._

'_Ah, an Archer!' exclaimed a voice in her head. Artemis rolled her eyes again._

'_I've heard of your kind. Extraordinary powers the Archers have got. I'll enjoy Sorting you. So let's see here. You're cold on the outside…cynical too…hmm…Lots of potential as well. Ah, but you don't want your power. Odd…and courage is here, oh yes…you have kindness in you. __You do not wish to show this side to others though…__Well then it'll just have to be…'_

"_SLYTHERIN!"_

_Artemis' eyes shot open in horror. A Slytherin? Her? Say what?!_

"SNORE!"

Artemis was rudely awakened and raised her eyebrow at the loud, repugnant sound that came from a bed opposite her. She rolled her eyes. Foreigners are disgusting, she thought.

Artemis thought back to the magnificent man with half-moon glasses. He was powerful, she could tell, and yet she felt sadness radiating from him. Something had happened to him that had caused him to have this aura of melancholy around him. And yet, she mused, no one else seemed to notice it.

Artemis shook herself from these foreboding thoughts and concentrated on the room that she would live in for the next four years. The room was very dark and gave Artemis the chills, like a horrible feeling that wouldn't leave her alone. And yet the room gave her something that she hadn't felt for a long time. The feeling of belonging.

Artemis had never felt like she had belonged anywhere. She was the first one of the Archer line for centuries since the original Archers themselves to actually gain the powers of the Archers. So in the family she had been revered and been treated with awe and affection.

But at school she had been an outcast. Sure, she was the subject of respect and awe, but an outcast nonetheless. Always seen with her pets or watching the stars at night but never with friends. No one dared to become friends with her, feeling that they might upset the awe-inspiring idol of the school. And so, she, Artemis, idol, outcast and goddess of Fukuyama Institute of Magic had never known a friend.

Artemis got up and quickly threw on a white hoodie and faded blue jeans. Over them she put on the trademark black robes of a Hogwarts student, with the crest of a Slytherin. She walked calmly towards the door and opened it. She was greeted with the sight of the Slytherin Common Room with blazing fires roaring in the grates trying and failing to warm the cold atmosphere of the dark, depressing dungeon.

She stepped quietly and elegantly down the stairs and walked towards the dungeon door. But someone quickly stepped out from behind an armchair, startling Artemis, causing her to quickly dodge out of the way. Her aggressor seemed surprised by her excellent reflexes but immediately recovered his composure.

"My dear lady," he started, his hand moving towards hers, "Allow me to introduce—"

He was cut off by a swift jab to the head.

"I don't talk to idiots," quipped Artemis. She quickly surveyed the appearance of the boy she had taken out. He had a fair build, was quite tall and had platinum blonde hair. He had striking slate gray eyes and yet Artemis could see that these eyes had no mercy in them. She deliberately stepped on his chest before exiting the common room.

As Artemis got out of the common room she walked toward the Great Hall. As soon as she entered she noticed the change in temperature. The Great Hall was comfortably warm and the tables were covered in delicious food the likes of which she had never seen.

She hesitated before walking towards the Slytherin table. Her skin crawled, feeling eyes on her back. Artemis turned around to face a brown haired boy with beautiful chocolate eyes of which were filled with hate.

Artemis turned her back to him again and sat down at the table. Students were starting to file in to the Great Hall now and Artemis forgot about the brown haired boy.

--

"Look, it's the owl post!" yelled a first year.

Artemis rolled her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time. Honestly, the foreigners these days. Obviously there was going to be post. People wrote owls everyday.

Artemis looked up from her food. The Head of Slytherin House was passing out schedules. He was an insanely fat professor who very deeply resembled an extremely overweight

walrus with a mustache.

Artemis looked at the schedule handed to her. For some strange reason her schedule was exactly like the one which she had in Japan. Artemis shook her head. This was no coincidence. Where she lived there was no such thing as coincidence. There was only fate. And she suspected that here was no different.

Arithmancy, Archery, Quidditch, Ancient Runes…

Suddenly realization jolted Artemis. Someone had put her in Quidditch!

--

A/N: Yay, another cliffy! Hehe…Sorry for the short chappie people! Please read and review peeps!

Again, special thanks to my beta, Angie / paddyfootblack057!

Seth


	4. Getting Used to This Life

Chapter 3: Getting Used to This Life

Disclaimer: I'm JKR in disguise. See, I knew no one would believe that. Well, I guess I don't own HP. sniff

--

She had been walking towards the Transfiguration classroom one day when she noticed it. There were these four boys that everyone seemed to know and look up to.

Girls swooned when they passed. Boys grinned mischievously or glared. Teachers either were amused or horrified.

The Marauders they were called. Artemis saw nothing special in them, merely viewing them as rather popular boys who everyone admired or envied. She suspected nothing. Until she saw it with her own eyes.

--

I had been strolling along the corridor near the Black Lake when I heard the excited cheering, shouting and clamoring of a large crowd of students. I adjusted my course towards them and subconsciously decided to find out what had roused such a rambunctious bunch.

Pushing violently here and there through the thriving crowd, I finally managed to get a clear view of what was happening. And what I saw was absolutely appalling in every possible way.

The four popular Gryffindor boys known as the Marauders were obviously tormenting a poor boy from my own house. They had taken his wand, and were cursing him mercilessly.

Making a strangled sound of disbelief, I immediately pushed through to the boy's aid, ignoring the angry protests behind me.

"_Back off, idiots!_" I screamed at them in Japanese, ferocity clawing its way into my throat.

My sudden outburst caused them to stop.

The barbarian-like, overgrown Neanderthals had their mouths open, like fish out of water. One boy was hiding himself behind a book, another was shivering, cowering behind the bigger two. They, in turn, were so surprised that they had dropped their previously raised wands, the smirks sliding off their faces like melting butter.

I knelt down and surveyed the damage that had been done. The boy was unconscious, concussed, most likely, and he had several curses on him. I raised my eyes to look at the boy's tormentors.

--

"What are you doing to him? What has he ever done to you to deserve this?" Artemis asked earnestly, this time in English, a tinge of a Japanese accent emerging.

The tallest of the four, a silky, black-haired aristocratic male, stepped forward, recovering his pompous, arrogant air. He replied in an amiable voice,

"Why, you must be a new student here. Everyone here knows that Snivellus is the problem and not us."

The boy lying next to Artemis opened his eyes and glared murderously at the other.

Artemis stood up, and folded her arms, the expression on her face skeptical.

"As true as that may be, you have failed to answer my question. And if you do not give a legitimate reason within a minute, I will be forced to hex you."

Apparently, to those around her, she had said something rather strange, because there several derisive snorts and scoffs among the crowd, and a perfectly-sculpted eyebrow raised itself on the face of the boy in front of me.

So distracted was she, Artemis did not notice that the boy next to her had begun to stir.

"I don't need your stupid help, you filthy Mudblood!"

The boy in front of me grinned widely.

"Yeah, listen to Snape and buzz off. He doesn't need your help!"

The boy and his entourage began to laugh uproariously, save the boy with his nose in a book.

Ignoring the raucous laughter, Artemis turned in the direction of Snape, her mouth already smoothly forming words.

"My poor, dear, misguided Housemate, I believe you are gravely mistaken. I am not born from Muggles like you so naïvely suggest, rather, I am of one of the purest Wizarding bloodlines currently existing."

Artemis paused. Should she continue, or should she just curse the whole lot of them and be over with it? She sighed inwardly.

"As for your other point, I believe you are less than capable of taking these morons by yourself, and am merely offering help, not pity. And as such, I think it would be a wiser decision on your part if you just accepted my help and be done with it."

With these eloquent finishing words, Artemis raised her wand, cursed the lot of them, pulled Snape to his feet and ran.

--

"What in the bloody hell did you do that for?"

That was the question posed to me after Snape and I had safely escaped to a secluded part of the castle.

I rolled my eyes. These foreigners were forever ungrateful. I turned to face the person I had just saved.

"Well, there are many reasons actually," I started, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"First of all," I continued, "I'm not the heartless lump of stupidity that you seem to take me for."

"Second, what sensible and rational person with feelings can watch another person being tormented? Certainly not me. Third, you're in my house. I'm supposed to help you, aren't I?

Lastly," I hesitated, "because I know what it feels like to be treated differently."

This last statement had a bitter edge to it, the old memories of my school days in Fukuyama overcoming my emotions, filling me with resentment. I myself was surprised at the venom that had entered my voice.

Snape looked pretty taken aback as well at my bitter tone, though there was understanding in the dark depths of his eyes. He held out his hand.

"Severus Snape," he introduced himself. I stared at it awhile before taking it and shaking his hand warmly. A genuine smile graced my lips for the first time in a long time.

"Artemis Shimomura," I answered.

--

I was walking towards Charms, the last lesson of the day, positively dreading the horrible class. The professor that taught the class, Flitwick I believe, was pleasant enough but I absolutely could not perform a simple charm for the life of me.

I had just left the Great Hall when those terrible Gryffindor boys came round the corner. I quickly side-stepped, hoping to get to class quickly with no interruptions. But alas, it was not to be. 

An arm shot out and caught my shoulder, turning me to face the grinning maniacs that were the Marauders.

--

**A/N:** _I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. I had writer's block. I had NO idea what to write, honestly. Well I hope this chapter was long enough to make up for the long wait. Review! _

_Seth_


End file.
